Chapter 257 Life-saving Straw
Pei Jing didn't even dare to recall the scene of the fire. It was clearly a trap they had set up long ago, and they had even calculated the fire route and retreat route clearly.
The vacant house, the door that couldn't be opened, and the dry firewood piled under the wall all showed signs of being easily ignited. Under such a hint, Wei Ciying would definitely think of setting fire to the house.
But when the flames shot up into the sky, illuminating half the sky, and thick smoke obscured the stars and the moon, Pei Jing's legs went weak when he dismounted.
What if? What if the secret passage was blocked by a fallen beam? What if she fainted from the smoke? What if she couldn't escape in time?
One "what if" after another pierced his heart like icicles. It was not until he saw her emerge from the secret passage safely that Pei Jing's heart finally settled down.
But as he held her in his arms at this moment, the fear still surged over him like a tide, making him involuntarily hold her tighter.
Jiang Fei knew that he was really scared, which was not her intention. She should have left earlier as planned.
But Wei Ciying's last few words about Pei Jing's death stopped Jiang Fei from leaving.
Ten years later, why did Pei Jing commit suicide? She separated from Pei Jing ten years ago and traveled through time again ten years later.
Why another decade?
Jiang Fei's fingers unconsciously clenched Pei Jing's clothes. The burning pain in her throat prevented her from asking questions. She could only chew on this mystery over and over in her mind.
Pei Jing noticed her strangeness and asked, "What's wrong?"
Jiang Fei shook her head, raised her head and kissed his cheek.
Pei Jing's frightened heart was finally soothed. After not sleeping for two nights, he finally felt sleepy and slowly closed his eyes while hugging Jiang Fei.
…
Deep inside the Tingwei Prison.
Wei Ciying was locked in the innermost room with iron chains around her ankles. After a few days, the skin on her wrists had been worn out and the blood had formed scabs.
She grabbed the prison door and shouted hoarsely, "Please go to the Marquis' Mansion and pass on a message. My father will definitely come. He will definitely come, and when he comes, he will definitely give you some benefits."
The jailer frowned as he listened. This woman had been yelling for several days, and she was still quite energetic.
He was too lazy to get up, so he leaned against the wall, closed his eyes and dozed off.
Seeing no one answer, Wei Ciying raised her voice again, "Where's the person? Is anyone here?"
Even a nap was impossible. The jailer finally lost his patience and said, "Stop shouting. No one is here to see you."
"Impossible." Wei Ciying grabbed the railing and said anxiously, "My father is the Marquis of Dingyuan. He loves me the most. How could he not care about me? He will definitely come. Even if my father doesn't come, my brother will come. They will definitely find a way to get me out!"
The jailer was completely awakened by her noise. He stood up irritably and walked over. He slapped the keychain into his palm and said, "Let me tell you this. Prince Zhaoning has ordered that no one can come to see you without the prince's approval. Your father? Even if the emperor came, it would be useless."
With a "clang", Wei Ciying's hands that were holding the iron railing suddenly loosened, and the whole person fell backwards to the ground, sitting down against the slippery wall.
She bit her lips hard to prevent herself from crying out, but her shoulders trembled uncontrollably.
How did she end up like this?
At first, she was so filled with hatred that she had decided that no one should have an easy life, and that the worst that could happen was death. But after experiencing the pain of being in prison, she no longer wanted to die.
What they eat here is rotten brown rice, and what they drink is dirty water. They eat, drink, defecate and urinate in this small space. The dignity of the noble ladies in the past has been completely worn away by this filth and dirtiness.
Wei Ciying was really scared.
In her new life, she should have lived a more glorious life than her previous one, so why did she end up in such a situation?
She was still so young, how could she die earlier than in her previous life? She had to survive, and she didn't believe that living another life would end like this.
Suddenly, she got up again, dragged her chains to the prison door, and cried out, "Go tell Pei Jing, I want to see him! Let him come to see me! Just say..."
Wei Ciying wiped her tears and said in panic, "Just say I have a huge secret to tell him."
…
It was late at night, and the cold inside the Tingwei prison was biting.
Wei Ciying curled up in the corner, wrapped in a straw blanket, barely keeping out the damp and cold.
She fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of her past life, present life, and Pei Jing's eyes, which were always cold and terrifying when he looked at her, no matter which life it was.
With two clangs, the outermost iron door of the prison was opened. Steady footsteps came from far away and finally stopped steadily in front of Wei Ciying's cell door.
Wei Ciying didn't move, her eyelids were so heavy that she couldn't lift them. It was not until she heard no movement for a long time that she opened her eyes, turned over and looked at the prison door.
The light from the torch made her vision blurry. A slender figure stood in the backlight, his outline cold and familiar.
"You're here..." Wei Ciying was overjoyed and almost crawled over, grabbing the railing of the cell, and the iron chain suddenly straightened.
She reached out and grabbed the corner of the man's clothes, raised her head and said: "Pei Jing, I knew you would-"
The voice stopped abruptly, and the light of the torch flickered, illuminating the face that she was very familiar with.
It’s Jiang Linyuan.
He lowered his eyes to look at her, his eyes dead.
Jiang Linyuan slowly squatted down and held Wei Ciying's hand, "You have suffered."
The tenderness in his eyes made Wei Ciying a little dazed, as if the coldness she saw in Jiang Linyuan's eyes the moment she looked up was just her illusion.
Wei Ciying's throat tightened. "Why are you here? Where's Pei Jing?"
Jiang Linyuan lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on the iron chain, "I heard in the palace that you were looking for the prince, but the prince wouldn't come, so I came here secretly."
Wei Ciying's face darkened, but then she was pulled back by her instinct for survival. "Can you...can you help me? Or can you tell my brother that I've already killed Jiang Rufei for you?"
Jiang Linyuan raised his hand to smooth away the messy hair stuck to her face. She was still wearing the same clothes she wore when she was imprisoned, which were now extremely dirty.
"Why are you so stupid? Do you have to avenge me?"
"I just can't bear to see you worrying about this." Wei Ciying paused, tightly grasped Jiang Linyuan's hand, and said, "Linyuan, I actually have feelings for you. It's because our parents broke up that we had to separate."
Jiang Linyuan's fingertips stopped behind her ear, where there was some dried dirt.
He hummed softly, as if tacitly agreeing with what was said, but also as if he didn't care too much, and then said, "The Sword Forging Pavilion found me and asked me to go back."
Wei Ciying's heart skipped a beat, and she held Jiang Linyuan tighter, "Are you leaving? You can't abandon me, Linyuan, you have to save me!"
Jiang Linyuan nodded slowly, "Don't worry, I will find a way."
"What's the situation outside?" Wei Ciying asked again.
She has been locked up here these days, in darkness and completely cut off from the outside world.
"I only know that the eldest prince was confined to his house because of this incident," Jiang Linyuan said, "and your father's situation is also extremely difficult."
The hope in Wei Ciying's eyes quickly dimmed. No wonder no one came to save her. She was afraid that Marquis Dingyuan was also unable to take care of himself now, and there was also Wei Mingzhen. However, she had just severed her relationship with Wei Mingzhen, and she didn't know if he would care about her.
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